I have been working on a Dakota 1998 2.5 5 speed it has a brand new engine in it but has a stutter in it on take off. It had a miss in it which i found was a leaking intake gasket that cleared that up when I replaced it. I got no stored codes and no engine light on. New distributor. New map sensor. New tps. new wires and new plugs. took throttle body off and cleaned it very well. Still has a stutter in it, please help.

 

Wish I could point out what I did as before I made a number of modifications a stutter or hesitation was a common annoyance for my 98 2.5. It took me making around 7 or more changes before the hesitation annoyance vanished.

A good start is swapping the 2.5 throttle body to a same year jeep 4.0 engine throttle body do a Google search on it many posts regarding the swap on the Internet.

If you understand how to feather your clutch on takeoff that helps A LOT.....GAS IT SOFT CLUTCH ENGAGEMENT then all out go.

100% fixing it is not cheap I changed fuel injectors modified my intake manifold moved the air temp sensor into the air hat and a number of other changes.

I also finally purchased a 60mm bored out throttle body the jeep 4.0 is a 52mm I think stock 2.5 is 48mm tb.

Knowing how to use your clutch makes a difference

An ebay link https://www.ebay.com/itm/Jeep-Throttle-Body-4-0L-bored-to-62mm-2-5L-1996-2005/112959136536?hash=item1a4ce3a318:g:8b8AAOSw6ZZav7~ I&vxp=mtr

Or = https://www.ebay.com/itm/1996-2004-Jeep-62MM-Bored-Throttle-Body-4-0-2-5-Dodge-Wrangler-Cherokee/291652333027?_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.M BE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D20160908110712%26meid%3Dd7157c 850df649c791e9614b0091f397%26pid%3D100677%26rk%3D5 %26rkt%3D24%26mehot%3Dag%26sd%3D112959136536%26itm %3D291652333027&_trksid=p2385738.c100677.m4598

BUT TO MAKE THESE WORK PROPERLY you need to pull your intake manifold and open it to a 62mm as it will restrict air flow the stock 2.5 manifold is only 50mm you need a 62mm hole.